Stock Up, Stock Down for Key Cleveland Browns Heading into Camp

Stock Up, Stock Down for Key Cleveland Browns Heading into Camp

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In the mythical world of NFL “stock,” which Cleveland Browns have the highest value as the team gathers to share in the annual summer ritual of training camp?

Stock prices may appear to be based on objective criteria, such as productivity or return-on-investment, but in reality the market is one large auction where everything is only worth what someone will pay for it.

That means that Wall Street isn’t based on anything real—it’s based on perception. Explains a lot, doesn’t it?

And that explains why we only talk about player “stock” in times of hypotheses during the draft or the offseason.

Once games begin, reality takes over and it becomes glaringly apparent who has it—and who doesn’t.

However, in the dog days of summer, we indulge in a brand of shameless speculation on player worth that would make a land developer blush.

In the week before camp, what else is a football lover to do?

Trent Richardson: Fantasy Jackpot Mania—Stock Remains a Strong Buy

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It’s no secret that the Browns' offensive scheme will revolve around Richardson right, left, up the middle and receiving out of the backfield. He will be a throwback, every down, ball-catching, run-‘til-his-tongue-hangs-out rusher.

Richardson is poised for either greatness or helium-esque catastrophe.

Excited Cleveland fans are letting their hopes rise, and fantasy pundits are projecting exceptional things for this rookie rusher.

Fantasy players are sharpening their draft pencils in basements and man-caves across America. With fantasy point totals projected at 1,200-1,400 all-purpose yards and anything from seven-12 TDs, it's hard to blame them.

I was in a rehabilitation program with group counseling, and I saw a psychiatrist, like, three times a week…I can tell people until I'm blue in the face, and there will always be naysayers…But I know that I have no intentions or any ambition to try to go back and regress to what I was doing before…I've definitely learned from this. It's been a long road, but I'm seeing light at the end tunnel after today. Looking back, it was something that had to happen in order for this to even take place. I promise the Browns won't regret this.

At 6’3” and 225 lbs, Gordon’s size, speed and raw talent undoubtedly tipped the scales for a Browns offense desperately in need of playmakers in the ball-catching ranks.

I definitely didn't perform as good as I would have liked...Looking back on it, maybe I should have stretched a little more, but I was glad I got through the receiving drills and I worked as hard as I could.

Let's review: you got kicked out of college for pot and your family is so in need of funds that you decided to declare for this supplemental draft—and you didn’t think stretching was important before your Pro Day drills? Hmmmm.

NFL politics and payback trivia:

La Canfora also noted that RGIII made it clear to Daniel Snyder that he would like to be reunited with his former receiver. Perhaps we can chalk this one up to Mike Holmgren’s revenge.

Mitchell Schwartz: The Bear at RT—Stock Up

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The Cal rookie is generally acknowledged to have nailed down the starting position. That he was dominant enough from the gun to relegate Oniel Cousins to (mostly) reserve status is a tremendous validation of his draft ranking.

Schwartz may be in a “no-win” situation with fans who thought that the team should have picked a WR instead and opted for a tackle further down in the draft.

If Schwartz struggles, there is always the veteran that Trent Richardson named one of the two most intimidating men in camp. Richardson was speaking to ESPN 850 WKNR, as detailed by Chris Pokorny of dawgsbynature.com:

The second one was a little surprising. Richardson was referencing both players by saying other players would state, ‘I'm not messing with this guy today,’ or ‘I'd hate to be the defensive lineman going against him.’

Listening to the interview, I started wondering, ‘man, who is this O'Neal guy we have in camp?’ The host then surprisingly asked, ‘really? Oniel Cousins?’…Richardson said he can't wait to run behind someone like that on game day…if Cousins is extremely motivated and looks like a monster all of a sudden, maybe we'll end up having a little competition on our hands to kick off the year.

Wide Receiver Stocks: All over the Big Board

Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert must be assuming that having a stronger-armed quarterback will improve the receiving stats. We’ll file that under “Remains to be Seen.”

Travis Benjamin and Josh Gordon may have talent, but one doesn’t expect them to light up the end zone as the two starting wideouts. Yet.

1. Greg Little—Stock Up. He came into camp 11 lbs lighter, according to The News-Herald. That’s it. It’s not as if he suddenly looks like the second coming of Jerry Rice or even of Steve Largent. But any improvement counts as “up.”

3. Joshua Cribbs will probably see fewer offensive snaps. That may seem like a drop in stock price, but it will probably translate into a rise in his special teams’ stock value.

4. Foxsportsohio.com's Fred Greetham wrote that Jordan Norwood appears to be leading the pack for the starting slot position based on his OTA appearances in that role. That’s sort of a stock flat line, since that's what he was supposed to be doing all along.

5. Norwood's final stock rating going into September will be determined by the performance of Brandon Weeden's BFF Josh Cooper, who will be Norwood's primary competition.

Cooper's stock began higher than that of any other undrafted free agent WR on the Browns, since he has a strong college connection with QB Brandon Weeden. However, Cooper is taking no chances.

The duo's chemistry is already showing in OTAs, but the rookie has also taken snaps as the emergency holder as well as with the special teams.

Cooper told Branson Wright of The Plain Dealer,"I'll do whatever they ask me to do. Yes, I'll even play on the line."

Mr. Cooper tips the scales at 195 lbs, so this is quite the offer. Stock remains high.

However, this is the most optimistic thing that anyone has reported. And that is not a good sign for a young man supposedly poised for a breakout season. Stock teetering on the brink.

Jordan Cameron: A Rising Legend in the Mind of the Browns Fan

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Cameron has done nothing in the real world to warrant his positive stock price. That doesn’t mean that he won’t produce, but his current rating is based on him being yet another former basketball star converted to TE.

The Browns envision Cameron as the heir to Ben Watson as the starting tight end. When that happens is up to Cameron’s development. Watson is in the final year of his contract. I see Cameron receiving a bigger role in the offense – until he proves he can’t handle it.

However, until he delivers on potential, Mr. Cameron remains just that—unrealized potential.

And vastly overpriced for current delivery. It must be the Southern California surfer-dude look.

Which is also overrated, by the way.

Defensive Line: Tackle, Tackle, Who's Got a Tackle?

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1. John Hughes: Gambles Pay Off—Stock Up

Coming into the NFL dogged by character and work-ethic questions leaves Hughes plenty of room for a rise in stock.

While he will never be confused with Mario Williams in the pass-rushing department, Hughes has always been a run-stuffer.

John Hughes appears to have subdued critics—at least for the summer, though no one has truly gone on record raving about him.

However, with his baggage, quiet acknowledgement from ESPN Cleveland that he is still in contention for the starting DT spot and is at least a rotational player, is extremely good news.

Brad Smelley: Mystery Stock

Ultimately, this comes down to a “stock poised on the edge of a cliff” situation. He’ll either crash or soar.

[What he has to] do is be a guy that would have to be somewhat multiple. He plays in the back field, he can play on a line of scrimmage and then really he’s got to make his mark on special teams. I think he has the ability to do those things.

At this point, the Browns will be forced to cut their former signal-caller, and McCoy will be forced to wait for that employment call until another NFL QB is injured. What a horrible limbo that must be.

Many fans still hold out hope that the team will hang onto Colt. Seriously? See opening sentence referencing "the gullible."

McCoy’s situation is only a high-profile example of the many individual dramas being played out daily in the ruthless competition as teams try to distill a 53-man roster worthy of NFL wins.

If you’re visiting any team practices this August—be kind. A lot of hopes and dreams are on the line.